Bless was among 13 animals found over the weekend at an abandoned property in Horatio, Arkansas. Some were huddled under a house, while others cowered in the grass. All of them were living on their own, their owners long gone, and left to fend for themselves.

Even more troubling, these dogs had been considered "rescued" - that is, a woman representing a charitable organization allegedly pulled them from a public shelter.

"She was given permission to be a representative of this rescue to pull animals," Karri McCreary, a veterinarian with VetRanch, tells The Dodo. "She actually was using her own PayPal account. So a lot of donations for these animals' care were being sent directly to her PayPal account for care that we know has not happened."

An army of rescuers have stepped up and, McCreary adds, Texas police have launched an investigation. The scope of the tragedy, however, has not yet been tallied, with McCready saying hundreds of dogs may have been pulled from shelters in Arkansas, Texas and Louisiana.

Since the investigation is ongoing, The Dodo has decided not to identify the woman accused of adopting and then abandoning these dogs. But the group whose name she allegedly operated under - Ark-La-Tex Animal Rescue - has issued a statement expressing horror at her actions.

"There is no excuse for what was done," the group wrote on its Facebook page. "The sheriff's office is collecting evidence and statements and we will be pressing charges on the responsible parties to the full extent of the law."